The commander-in-chief of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Bashir Zeb Baloch, has published a booklet setting out rules for the management of weapons, ammunition and other military resources, as well as organisational discipline and the group’s approach to modern guerrilla warfare.
The booklet, titled Maddi, was published in June by the BLA’s media outlet, Hakkal Publications.
The BLA uses the term Maddi to refer collectively to weapons, ammunition, explosives, communications equipment and other resources within its military, political and logistical structures.
The author presents these resources not merely as material tools, but as a “national trust,” arguing that their use should be governed by discipline, restraint and organisational control.
The booklet is divided into three main sections: “The Economy of Maddi,” “The Code of Conduct of Maddi” and “Psychology.” It focuses on transforming traditional armed resistance into modern guerrilla warfare through planning, discipline and the scientific management of material resources.
Referring to global military history and guerrilla warfare models, including Mao Zedong’s On Protracted War, Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap’s management of military supplies and the Irish Republican Army’s “Quartermaster General Corps,” the booklet argues that scientific management is essential to prevent shortages of material resources during prolonged wars.
The second section sets out rules concerning the use of Maddi, strongly discouraging indiscriminate firing and presenting “controlled fire” and military restraint as the real strength of a guerrilla fighter.
The final section discusses the psychological dimensions of resources. The author says guerrilla warfare is fought not only on the battlefield, but also within the mind, arguing that when a guerrilla seizes the enemy’s weapons and uses them against the same enemy, it creates a psychological and identity-based fracture within the enemy soldier and weakens his sense of military superiority.
The booklet also emphasises that the ethical use of Maddi and public support are among the main guarantees of a movement’s survival.
The publication is the latest in a series of books and PDF materials authored by Bashir Zeb Baloch on organisational, political and military subjects.
Earlier this year, Bashir Zeb Baloch published a book titled Mohkash, meaning “Guide” or “Leader”, in which he discussed various organisational and political subjects. Another book titled Mehrghosh had also previously been published, while his articles have appeared in different magazines and websites at different times.